Additional Documents:

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland as a slave on a plantation, and worked in the fields. In 1849, when she was about 30 years old, she ran away and escaped to the North. Tubman traveled back to the South nineteen times, mostly to Maryland and Delaware, to help lead other slaves to freedom. She became famous as a conductor on the "Underground Railroad," a secret network of abolitionists who helped slaves escape. She also became an anti-slavery speaker, telling audiences about her experiences as a slave and her dangerous rescue missions. During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a nurse and a scout for the Union Army.